In preparation for the 2025 national, local, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to print more than 73 million ballots.
According to Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, 70 million of these ballots will be used for the regular midterm elections, 2 million for BARMM, and 1 million as test ballots for an educational campaign. This campaign, running from November 2024 to January 2025, aims to familiarize voters with the new automated counting machines (ACMs).
Since voter registration closes on September 30, Garcia noted that the total number of ballots for the regular elections may increase, depending on the final count of registered voters. “For each registered voter, we will print one ballot,” Garcia stated.
To avoid delays, ballot printing will begin earlier than usual—by the second week of December—compared to the traditional start at the beginning of the election year. This ensures any issues can be resolved without disrupting the election timeline.
The Comelec is impressed with two advanced printing machines from Miru Systems, a South Korean company that won a P17.99 billion contract. The machines are capable of printing approximately 2 million ballots per day. However, to maintain accuracy, precision, and high quality, each machine will print 500,000 ballots per day.
Garcia emphasized that each ACM and ballot is precinct-specific, meaning they can only be used in their designated precincts and machines. Additionally, to enhance security, the ballots will include unique watermarks and secret markings known only to Garcia and the head of the National Printing Office.
